Peter Clarke announced head coach of Sydney Sixers in WBBL

Sydney Sixers Women have announced the appointment of Peter Clarke as their new head coach ahead of the 2026-27 Women's Big Bash League (WBBL). This completes the coaching merry-go-round at the Sydney-based franchise, which began a few months back when they appointed James Hopes as the men's coach.

However, Hopes jumped ship to Queensland and the Brisbane Heat, which resulted in the Sixers appointing their women's head coach, Matthew Mott, in charge of the men's side. With the women's role now remaining vacant, the Sydney Sixers have filled the seat with Mott's assistant, Clarke. 

Clarke has had an unusual route to coaching compared to his other counterparts. He served as a psychologist for the Australian Women's team for eight years before taking over the coaching role at the University of Queensland. He later joined Cricket New South Wales (NSW) in 2025 as women's coach, guiding them to the WNCL final last time around. 

"It's an honour to have the opportunity to take on this role, and I'm both humbled and grateful for the trust the club has placed in me. The Sixers are a storied franchise in the WBBL, and a club with a legacy of phenomenal players and team success. Most importantly, the people at the Sixers are high character and interested in being the best we can be - players and staff alike. That's what excites me the most, being a part of a group of people who are continuously striving to be great," Peter Clarke was quoted as saying on Cricinfo. 

The Sydney Sixers Women finished second in the points table during the previous edition of the Women's Big Bash, accumulating 13 points from 10 matches. However, they suffered defeat at the hands of the Perth Scorchers Women in the Challenger.

"I've been fortunate enough to build relationships with players and staff at the Sixers from other roles I've served within Australian cricket, as well as serving as an assistant coach with the club last season, and I'm looking forward to continuing to build on those connections as we strive for the ultimate success as a team. Success isn't something that's given, it's something that's earned. And we're keen to put in the work to earn it. We have the requisite talent, character and desire for continuous improvement in this group to succeed, and we're committed to representing our members and fans in a way they can be proud of. I'm excited by the journey ahead of us and the opportunity to be a part of creating an environment that allows us to our full potential," he added.